Vixen Qi

Feeling the cold breeze of spring-end, Vixen carried her basket as she sauntered her way into the fruit plantation, barefoot.

Stretching and brushing her free hand into the bushes around her, she breathed in the cool air given off by the nature.

As she did so, she caught a wift of something sweet coming from an apple tree not far away from where she stood.

Sa magaang pagpalo ng hangin sa kanyang mukha, pinakinggan niya ang pagsayaw ng mga sanga at mga dahon ng puno.

Just by listening to the rustling sound of the tree, and the sweet scent lingering the air, she could point out where a fruit bore without relying on her sense of sight.

Bilang isang indibidwal na naninirahan sa The Blinds Village, sa pangalan palang ng nayon, mahihinuha na ng iba na hindi sila gumagamit ng kanilang mga paningin.

They could not, even if they wished to, as they had the eyes which could not see; a curse which rooted from the depths of their bloodline.

Lahat ng mga taga rito ay ipinanganak na bulag. Wala itong gamot sapagkat hindi ito isang sakit. Ito ay isang sumpa na hinding-hindi mawawala't maiiwasan ng mga taga rito.

Moreover, each pair of their eyes itself was a curse to someone who could see. The moment a person laid their eyes onto the blinds' eyes, they would unwillingly receive the curse as well and become one of them, the blinds.

Ito rin ang dahilan kung bakit naglalagay sila ng tabon sa kanilang mga mata kahit bulag sila, at patagong namumuhay malayo sa mga distrito ng Phoenix Region, sapagkat sila ay tinutugis ng mga taga ibang distrito.

Ang ilan ay pinapatay para maiwasan at mapalayo ang sumpa, ang ilan naman ay tinutugis para kunin ang kanilang mga mata at ibenta sa mataas na halaga sapagkat sikat itong pang bulag sa mga kaaway ng iba.

Raising her hand, sinalat ni Vixen ang mansanas na malapit sa kanya.

Weighing the slight difference of it's temperature and texture as she compared them with those of the unripe apples, she shaked her head in discontent.

Hmm.. Hindi pa hinog

Sinunod niya naman ang mga katabi nito.

Hinog, pero 'di pa pwede.

Nah.

Uh-uh.

Nang makapa niya ang isang mansanas na medyo may kataasan sa kanya, napangiti siya.

"Yep.. eto nga." Pinitas niya ito at inilagay sa basket niya kasama ang iba pang prutas gaya ng grapes, apricots, oranges, saging at iba pang prutas na nakuha niya sa kabilang dako ng plantation.

Fixing her uneven and wrinkled eye patch caused by her red, curly hair dancing along the wind, she tried to feel the faint warmth of the sun bouncing off her skin and listened to the twittering birds as the bats squeak from the distance.

Base sa naramdaman niya at napakinggan niyang mga ibon na tumatawag sa mga kasama nila, nahinuha niyang magtatakip-silim na.

Reluctantly, Vixen moved her eye patch aside and squinted her eyes into the distance. For a moment, her vision was kinda blurry, however, as the sun slowly hid behind the mountains, her eyelids and brows relaxed as she witnessed how the color purple and pink gradually tinted the vast skies.

Unlike the other villagers in The Blinds, Vixen, on the other hand, was not born in The Blinds Village.

Hindi rin tumatakbo sa dugo niya ang sumpa na meron ang nayon, sapagkat kinupkop lamang siya ng mag-asawang Qi na taga rito.

Thus making her the only one in the village who has the sense of sight. However, even so having the ability, she rarely use it. After all, it would shroud the rest of her senses everytime she open her eyes.

She grew up covering her eyes to blend in with others as of what her foster parents kept reminding her. She never reject them though, for it was more comfortable living this way in the village.

Imbis na mabigyang pansin niya ang maliliit na bagay, ingay, at iba pa, gamit ang iba niyang pandama, mas nagmumukha siyang bulag kapag gamitin niya ang kanyang paningin dahil mapapansin niya lamang ang mga nakikita niya pero hindi ang mga bagay na 'di niya nakikita.

Mas komportable siyang gumalaw kapag may tabon ang kanyang mga mata kesa sa wala, sapagkat mas madama niya ng mabuti ang mga maliliit na bagay kapag naka pikit siya.

This was also one of the great advantages of the Blinds living unharmed up 'til now, for they could sense any kind of danger coming their way using their other senses and strong instincts.

About her being able to see, she and the ones who adopted her only knew about it. Dahil kapag malaman ng mga taga nayon na may isa sa kanilang may kakayahang makakita, ituturi nila itong salot sa nayon.

Just like how the districts of the Phoenix Region treat them as a very dangerous people carrying a curse, the blinds also treat everyone from the districts as a scourge who would cause them sufferings had he been given a chance to live.

Specifically, those who had powers, the villagers loathed them the most because according to the legends, it was them who cursed their village and turned their vision all black.

Welp! Uwi nako. Sapat na siguro 'to para pang pares sa haponan mamaya, Isip niya sabay tabon muli ng kanyang mga mata na para bang pinanggalingan ng mga kalawakan sa likod ng mga langit.

They were like a pair of colorful rotating galaxies beyond the eyes could see through the night skies. As if it would suck the whole world if kept uncovered.

Kruuu—kruuu—

Nahinto ang pagmuni-muni ni Vixen nang bigla siyang nakarinig ng ingay na gaya ng isang kuwago. Pero alam niyang hindi ito galing mismo sa totoong kuwago.

It was Leng Qi, her foster mom, trying to call her presence.

In order to stay hidden and uunnoticed from the other people or beings, the Blinds used the sounds of animals to communicate with each other outside the village.

Using the twittering sound of birds during the day, while using the hooting sound of an owl or squeaking sound of a bat at night.

They used specific kinds of animal sounds to blend in the day or night.

Kruuuuu—

Agarang tugon ng dalaga para ipahatid na pauwi na siya.

Dala-dala ang kaing na puno ng mga prutas, napag disisyonan niyang lumabas na ng plantasyon.

Ang plantasyon ay isang tagong lugar, 'di kalayuan sa nayon, na pinagkukuhanan ng mga taga nayon ng kanilang mga makaing prutas at gulay.

Habang ang mga lalaking taga nayon ay abala sa pangangaso ng mga hayop, sila namang mga babae ay nangongolekta ng mga prutas at gulay sa plantasyon.

Pero sa mga oras na ito, wala siyang kasamang namimitas ng mga prutas sapagkat takip-silim na at masyadong delikado para sa kanila na pumunta sa plantasyon dahil sa pagkagat ng dilim ay siya ring oras ng paglabas ng mga mababangis na mga halimaw na nakakubli sa mga lilom ng gubat.

But she never mind them.

She was confident that she could protect herself if something were to happen. Thus she has the guts to pick fruits during this hour, because she has the qualification to be confident, and what was this qualification? Well, she has the power to protect herself. The power from the other district which loathed by the villagers.

When she arrived at the plantation's boarder, the barrier which was shrouding the plantation restricted her from going outside.

It was like an invisible and soft membrane separating the plantation from the outside world. It was a natural protection given to them by the kind and protective nature. No one can easily pass through it unless they knew how. The same thing with the barrier of the village.

Raising her right hand, Vixen tapped her fingers consecutively on the soft membrane, creating a consecutive ripples on it's surface.

Starting from her pinky, a second later, she tapped her ring finger, then her middle finger, next was her index finger.

For the final key, she slid her thumb finger downward to trigger the opening.

Sa pinagdausdusan niya ng daliri, tila bang isang jelly na hiniwa sa gitna, ito ay sinundan ng butas at 'di kalauna'y naging bukana kung saan siya'y pweding makalabas.

As she stepped onto the opening, she felt the cold membrane brushed her body. When completely outside, the comfortable and safe feeling she felt from the plantation was also brushed away.

She could almost feel all the eyes of the predators eyeing their precious prey, which was her, prowling their gaits as they growled with hunger.

Behind her, the membrane was already closed, it would take a few seconds to open it again. Within those seconds, surely the beasts was already munching her flesh into gore.

Walang magawa si Vixen kundi magtiwala sa kanyang sarili.

Nagsimula siyang tumakbo ng mabilis para malayo ang sarili sa mga halimaw. Habang tumatagal ay mas bumibilis ang kanyang pagtakbo palayo sa kanila.

She imitate the sound of bats to use echolocation.

Relying only on the Blinds' echolocation ability which was developed from the must auditory sense training she had during the past few years, she manage to shun herself away from the trunks and protruding tree roots hindering her path, at the same time, monitoring how far the distance was between her and the hungry beasts chasing her from behind.

Nang matutop niyang dalawang metro lamang ang layo niya sa isang beast hound na humahabol sa kanya, binuksan niya ang kanyang mga palad kung saan ay may namumuong ilaw na medyo manilaw-nilaw ang kulay.

Wisps of light energy converge on each of her palm.

Mula sa pagiging hugis bilog, ginawa niya itong hugis palaso saka tinira sa dalawang mata ng beast hound.

Purple blood splashed everywhere as the light arrows pierced through the hound's head. Since the combination of the two arrows were too much for its head, the arrows caused it to explode into a bloody mess.

Mas naging agresibo ang paggalaw ng mga hounds pagkatapos masaksihan ang pagkamatay ng isa sa mga kasama nila.

Bilang beast hounds, isang grupo sila palagi nanghuhuli ng kanilang makakaing hayop.. o tao, kaya naman halos imposibleng mapapatay silang lahat sa ilang tira lang sapagkat patuloy na nasasapawan ang mga posisyon ng mga namatay na hounds ng panibagong hukbo.

Kailan man ay hindi huminto si Vixen sa pagtakbo at patuloy rin niyang tinitira ng light arrows ang mga humahabol sa kanya na mga beasts hounds.

Every arrow she released pierced through every hound's head without mistakes. Some heads exploded, while some heads only bled. However, all of the targets were killed by her light arrows.

For some reason, she never felt tired as she bolted her way through the forest, nor she felt the depletion of her mana as she kept on using her light energy to shot the beasts to their end. But even so, she must stop, for she was closing in to their village's barrier.

Hindi niya gustong mamatay sa hukbo ng mga hounds, ngunit mas hindi niya gustuhing mamatay sa kamay ng mga ka-nayon niya kapag malaman nilang may misteryosong kapangyarihan siya na kinasusuklaman nila.

After releasing a hundred light arrows, Vixen stopped attaking and hasten her movements, taking the advantage to escape from the hounds.

Nahihinuha na niyang malapit na siya sa barrier ng kanilang nayon. Sa oras na maka alpas siya sa barrier, hindi na siya mahahabol ng mga beast hounds thanks to the protective membrane similar to that of the plantation's.

Tokotokotokotokotoko Tok-kooooo—

Agad na sumigla ang expresyion ni Vixen nang marinig ang tunog ng tuko.

"Papà!" Hindi niya napigilang isigaw sa kagalakan.

It was her foster father, Hartei Qi, using the sound of a Gecko to communicate with her just like how her mom did a while ago. However this time it was a gecko sound.

Realizing that, she unconsciously covered her mouth.

Just now, she accidentally called for her father instead of responding with the same sound.

Ops!

Whistling sounds travelled through the air as her father shot three arrows at the same time, using his handmade wood-carved bow.

Just like how Vixen relayed on her echolocation to kill the hounds, his father also used the echolocation to shot the arrows through the hounds' body. However, he was much more accurate than her.

All of the targets were pierced through their eyes, instantly killing them.

Maliban sa kanyang papà, ang mga kasamahan nito sa pangangaso ay sinusubukan din ang kanilang makakaya para mapatay ang karamihan sa mga hound na sumusubok na atakihin sila.

Hindi nagtagal, iba't ibang sandata ang patuloy na sumasalubong sa mga halimaw. Iilan ay mga palaso, ang ilan naman ay mga sibat at iba pang panlaban sa mga halimaw.

Nang makaabot si Vixen sa kanyang papà, agad siyang nagtago sa likod nito habang patuloy silang tumitira sa mga beast hounds.

With a series of 'tweng' sounds, Hartei shot multiple arrows everytime he release the bow string.

Nang matutop nilang malayo pa sa barrier ang distansya ng mga bagong hukbo ng beast hounds, dali-dali inaktiba ni Hartei ang bukana ng barrier, gayun din ang iba pa niyang kasama at saka halos magkasabay na pumasok dito.

Vixen was held by her father in her arm when she felt the familiar cold silk-like feeling of a membrane brushed her skin as she was pulled into the barrier.